Trolley device



Sept. 8, 1942. p A A 2,295,400

TROLLEY DEVICE Filed NOV. 27, 1940 INVENTOR ATT NEY.

Pay/Wand Pfia/ma.

Patented Sept. 8, 1942 2 29 0 reenter DEVICE Ra mond Hanna,

. P t ur h, Pa, assignor to Westinghouse Electric 6;

Manufac ring Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 27,

(Cl. 19l35) 11 Claims. My invention vices, and it has reference in particular to a curved segment or trolley conductor device for use in trolley conductor systems.

Generally stated, it is an object of my invenlieve the runner member of at least a considerle p i n e the s ress s no y applied thereto.

Another object oi the invention is to provide a sim e n in xp n i eeemine wedged be ween ingu y re t h tions of; a trolley conducter device.

A further object of my invention is to provide for preventing a current collector from becomew dged e w en the unn m mbe and t nsion member of a curved trolley conductor device n e tre l y c ndu r sys mstill an e .iee e he n tion i t u l ze a perforated metal screen which does not collect snow and ice for preventing a de-wired current llee e re i h emih edg d n a po ke beween re ens of a trel y uc devise,

O h r hiee s wi t. in pa t b obvious nd wi l, in part, p ear h reina terh pr c ic n in en on i he prete r d orm, the curved se men or r ley ehdu e evice. ma ompr se r a v y ligh Weigh c rved runner memb r pr vid d with a r newab wear surface alon he lower e e to g ide a current collector and end members secured thereto f r mak n onnections t es eei te trolley devices, or a trolley eenelueter. A substantially f member ma be e nnected between the ends of the runn r member to. transmit the principal stresses e ween the. end members and relieve the principal portion of the runner member from the stresses norma ly applied thereto. A deflector guard or s ield cemprising a perforated metal screen may be positioned between the curved runner member and th tension member to. substantially enclose the arcuate space therebetween and prevent. a de-wired current collector from becoming wedged therein For a more complete understanding of the 1940, Serial No. 367,360

n ure and s ene e my vhiven ien. eference may .e made to e f l win d tailed. description and h accompan n dra in in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a curved segment or eatures or the inventi n;

h ts a s de e e e ie el v ew of he me er ee duet r de ice o Fi 1;

Fist 3 i a nlar ed sectional. viewtaken along the. li e II III, oi Fig, 1; and

Fi 4 is n. en arged sectional view taken along the l ne IV-IV cf; g.

Refe in to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the e e n e 11 .mera1. [0 ma de et enerally, a

onductor (not sh wn),

provided for the runner member, by applying a substantially U-shaped sheath 20 to thelower ed e and pressing the upstanding sides 2i thereof inwardly about the enlarged edge I9.

Referring particularly to Figs. 3 and 4 it will be seen that the end members I3 and 14 may be rovided with T-shaped greoves 23 on the lower des t9 receive 7 membe 12- h e d membe s m y b et habl c ect d to he c rv d. nner H by mea of set screws 24 which clamp the end portions of the unner member in the T-shaped grooves 23, which conform to the cross-section of the runner I3 may be provided crossing, to which the curved segment be attached.

The end member is which is disposed for attachment to a trolley conductor (not shown), may be provided with laterally extending eyes 29 for connecting suitable guy wires or insulating spacers thereto. A runner portion 39 may be provided on the lower side in alinement with the enlarged edge 19 of the runner member. Means, such as the upwardly sloping opening 32, may be provided in the body portion of the end member M wherein a trolley conductor may be secured by means of set screws 33. A clevis 3 may be provided adjacent the end of the end member M for connecting a suitable approach member (not shown) thereto to provide for a smooth transfer of a current collector from a trolley conductor (not shown) to the end member.

The auxiliary tension member it is utilized to relieve the curved runner member l2 of at least a large portion of the principal stresses usually applied to a trolley device connected in a trolley conductor system by reason of the relatively high tension at which the trolley conductor must be maintained. The tension member may, for example, comprise a substantially rigid bar or rod connected either to the end members themselves or to the end portions of the runner member, being, for example, welded to the back portion ll adjacent the end portions, by welds 355, so as to be clear of anycurrent collector. An ear Bl may be provided adjacent one end of the device, being for example attached to the rod l5 for securing a deflector or shield thereto where the device is utilized in connection with a trolley device to prevent a de-wired current collector from catching in a pocket between the device and an adjacent trolley conductor or trolley device.

In order to prevent de-wired from entering it! may a current collector when the opening between the tension member and the curved runner member 12, and becoming wedged therein adjacent either end of the opening where it narrows, suitable means, such as the defiector or guard member HS, may be positioned between the tension member if: and the curved runner member i2. The deflector may, for example, comprise a segment of expanded wire screen or perforated sheet metal, as shown, andmay be secured to the curved runner member and tension member in any suitable manner, such as by welding. The deflector serves not only as a protective guard, but it also reenforces the curved runner member, making the curved segment more rigid. Such a deflector is further advantageous in that it prevents ice, snow, or rain water from collecting thereon.

A curved segment or trolley device embodying the features of my invention may find many applications in trolley conductor systems. One application, however, which is of particular importance is at intersections between diiferent pairs of trolley conductors in trolley bus conductor systems or at intersections between trolley bus and street car conductor systems. trolley frogs are used, it is extremely advantageous to utilize rigid curved segments such as I have disclosed in connection with the trolley frogs, crossings, portion of the branch or intersecting trolley conductor immediately adjacent the main or straight conductor. The curved segment may be directly attached to a trolley- Where etc., to provide the curved frog at one end;

and to a crossing or a conductor at the other end, depending on the particular type of intersection where it is used. The rigid segment is self-supporting and requires no lateral guy wires or pulloffs to maintain the desired curve. It also provides a perfectly smooth curve and is light and durable.

From the above description and the accompanying drawing, it will be apparent that I have provided a curved segment for trolley conductor systems which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and which may be readily installed.

a Since the curved to withstand the ductor orrunner member is not required full tension of the trolley conother trolley device to which it may be connected, the runner member may be of relatively light construction. The tension member transmits substantially all the tension between the end members and prevents appreciable defiection of the curved runner member from the desired curvature. The perforated deflector not only guards against a de-wired current collector becoming wedged between the curved runner member and the tension member, and prevents ice and snow from collecting upon its surface, but it also assists in connecting the tension member and the curved runner member to provide a more rigid and unitary construction.

Since different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all'matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawing shall be considered merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense I claim as my invention:

1. A curved trolley conductor segment comprising, a curved runner member having a guide surface along the lower edge to guide a current collector, a tension member connecting the end portions of the runner member and spaced'therefrom intermediate the ends, and end members adjacent the ends of the runner member for connecting the segment in a trolley conductor system.

2. In combination, having a lower edge portion for guiding a current collector, and a maintain the curvature of the runner member connected between the end portion of the runner member adjacent therefrom intermediate the ends.

3. A curved conductor member for trolley conductor systems comprising, 'an arcuate structural steel runner member, end membersf secured adJ'a- I cent the ends of the runner member to secure it in a conductor system in placeof' a portion of a trolley conductor, and a substantially straight chordal tension bar members.

ner member adjacent ber.

gated curved member on the lower edge, a tension bar connected .ad-- jacent the ends of the curved member for transmitting tension from one end of the curved member to the other, and a guard positioned, between.

the. tension bar and the runner member, .1

a curved runner member tension ba-r operable to the upper edge and spaced connected to the runner member adjacent the ends to transmit the tension of the trolley conductor betweenjthe' end- 5. The combination in a curve segment'for trolley bus trolley conductor system, of an Je1onhaving a runner portion;

6. In combination, a curved structural steel use instead of a portion of tively thin tension bar connecting the ends of the runner member to transmit tension from one end member to the other.

7. A trolley conductor device for a trolley conductor system comprising, a relatively light run- 9. A trolley device comprising, a curved runner having a substantially T-section with a renewable wear surface mit the tension load therebetween.

10. A curved trolley conductor segment comprising, a laterally curved runner member, and a substantially rigid reenforcing bar positioned RAYMOND P. HANNA. 

